1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and method for handling tickets, stamps and other markers. More particularly, the present invention provides an apparatus and method for rapidly and effectively counting and disposing of used tickets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is a widely employed practice today for various arcade machines, such as skee-ball, pin-ball, and Whak-a-Mole, to issue tickets or similar markers as premiums for high scores. Usually multiple attached tickets are dispensed from these machines from a long continuous roll of tickets. Additionally, tickets and stamps are regularly dispensed automatically from other machines for a variety of reasons, again usually from a continuous roll. Since it is a regular occurrence for customers to acquire large numbers of such tickets, it has become an increasing concern for operators of such machines to find some rapid and accurate way to count such tickets when they are redeemed. Moreover, since many of these tickets have a substantial value for redemption purposes, operators are also quite concerned that each ticket is redeemed only once and is not "recycled" by dishonest customers or wayward employees for further redemption.
A number of advances have been made in the security of the machines which dispense such tickets. One such advance in wide use today is applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,001, issued Jun. 9, 1981. This patent discloses a ticket dispenser with a built-in brake which prevents the unauthorized removal of tickets from an arcade game or similar ticket dispenser.
Despite such advances, it is still common for arcade operators to count the redeemed tickets manually. This laborious procedure is slow, tedious, and inaccurate. Additionally, since counting of such tickets is not easily accomplished, owners tend to be at the mercy of their employees with respect to accounting for the number of prizes awarded relative to the number of tickets redeemed. Furthermore, unless a separate step is employed to deface such tickets somehow after redemption, it is known that a certain number of previously redeemed tickets tend to recirculate via scavenging of trash receptacles or by way of dishonest employees. This form of theft needlessly undermines the profit of any arcade or similar operation.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method of automatically counting redeemed tickets and other markers in a manner which is both rapid and accurate.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus and method which provides an objective and verifiable count of the total number of tickets redeemed.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus and method which automatically defaces any redeemed tickets so to assure that they cannot be reused in the future.
Other objects of the present invention should become evident through review of the following specification.